The Celtics' best player was not at his best Saturday at Fiserv Forum. Far from it.
Tatum only scored 10 points in Boston's 103-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks despite playing a team-high 41 minutes. The three-time All-Star's woeful 4-for-19 shooting performance resulted in his second-lowest point total of the entire season.
Tatum's ineffectiveness was greatly exposed in the second half. The Celtics, to their credit, managed to rally while their franchise cornerstone struggled, but their push ultimately wasn't enough. A victory was there to be had, and it probably would have gone Boston's way if Tatum was even halfway decent on the offensive end.
After the game, the 24-year-old explained why things weren't going his way in Game 3.
"I guess I was being a little hesitant, passing, just trying to make plays for the other guys," Tatum told reporters, per The Boston Globe "I have to be better in that aspect, and reading it better. I had been doing a great job of it, but today was just a one off."
Tatum continued: "I was probably thinking a little bit too much. They were giving me a lot of attention and obviously I passed up some open looks that would have been best for the team. It all comes down to I've just got to make better reads. And a lot of times I was for myself today that I just passed up."
Unlike the recent three-day layoff, Tatum won't have to wait long for a chance to get back on track. The Celtics and the Bucks will battle it out in Game 4 on Monday night.
